The Economic Value of Idaho Outdoor Sports

Outdoor recreation in Idaho supports more than 77,000 jobs, $6.3 billion in consumer spending, $1.8 billion in wages and $461 million in state and local tax revenue, according to a report from the Outdoor Industry Association.

“Idaho has many world-class recreation areas — mountains, rivers and desert canyons — that draw people to the state from throughout the world,” said Mike Lanza, an outdoor author and blogger in Boise and the Northwest editor for Backpacker magazine. “When people come here to experience these places, they spend money on new gear for the trip as well as on food and lodging.”

POOL SESSIONS

IN the paddling news we have Castlegar Pool Sessions back up and running again.  Sunday’s 12-1 at the Castlegar Aquatic Centre for $15/paddler and bring a family member to enjoy the steam room, hot tub, or kiddy pool.  For more information click here.

Trail wave has come into play early this year so it’s time to dust off the kayak and get it out there! The level has been hovering around 3.5-3.6 on the BC hydrometric data website so it means a wave-like hero hole and a solid front surfing platform on Tail wave.

The cold water season CLOSING party is happening at Rock Island (water level dependant, stay tuned) Saturday March 9th  Come out for some paddling to kick the season into gear and we will get together afterwards for some grub and stories, be sure to RSVP for a spot at the dinner table that night.

The first of many World Kayak Hometown Throwdown Competitions will be held at Rock Island as well on March 31st from 12-3.  Hopefully we will have the feature for the whole month so we can practice.  contact Chris Ryman for more details.

POOL SESSIONS

IN the paddling news we have Castlegar Pool Sessions back up and running again.  Sunday’s 12-1 at the Castlegar Aquatic Centre for $15/paddler and bring a family member to enjoy the steam room, hot tub, or kiddy pool.  For more information click here.

Trail wave has come into play early this year so it’s time to dust off the kayak and get it out there! The level has been hovering around 3.5-3.6 on the BC hydrometric data website so it means a wave-like hero hole and a solid front surfing platform on Tail wave.

The cold water season CLOSING party is happening at Rock Island in Trail Saturday March 9th from 12-3 with dinner party to follow.  contact Chris Ryman for more details.

Boise ThrowDown #5

Saturday was out last Throwdown for the year in Idaho. Weather in
Cascade was awesome with a bit of a breeze. But you could tell that
Fall is not far off.

I am so jazzed to see the kids from Kelly’s Kayak Academy continuing
to return and have Troy Wilson run a clinic for them prior to the
Throwdowns.  These kids are really excited about paddling.

Water was down to about 1400 cfs (from the normal 2200), so made it a
bit shallow but the more skilled paddlers could still throw ends and
loop. Water still feels good and you just gotta love that Idaho has
water clear into the fall.

We ran 3 runs in the wave and scored the best 2. Was great to see
paddlers from 10 to 50. Afterwards we sucked down some free dogs
provided by KWP and met on the lawn to draw for all the awesome prizes
donated by our event sponsors and local sponsors.

Thanks to Troy, Devon, Devin and Daniel for helping run safety AND
compete. That kept ‘em busy

thanks also to our Event Sponsors:
Jackson Kayak, GoPro, Smith Optics, Mt. Khakis, Chaco, Astral, Shred
Ready, Kokatat, Rapid Transit, Stony Boater, Immersion Research

And to our local sponsors:
Alpenglow Mountain Sports, River Gear and H2OVelocity

Results:
Adults -
Devon
Troy
Daniel
Devin
Willard

Jr – men
Skye
Thomas
Brady
Quinton
Trevor

Jr – Women
Roxy
Paige
Hailey

Boise ThrowDown #5

Saturday was out last Throwdown for the year in Idaho. Weather in
Cascade was awesome with a bit of a breeze. But you could tell that
Fall is not far off.

I am so jazzed to see the kids from Kelly’s Kayak Academy continuing
to return and have Troy Wilson run a clinic for them prior to the
Throwdowns.  These kids are really excited about paddling.

Water was down to about 1400 cfs (from the normal 2200), so made it a
bit shallow but the more skilled paddlers could still throw ends and
loop. Water still feels good and you just gotta love that Idaho has
water clear into the fall.

We ran 3 runs in the wave and scored the best 2. Was great to see
paddlers from 10 to 50. Afterwards we sucked down some free dogs
provided by KWP and met on the lawn to draw for all the awesome prizes
donated by our event sponsors and local sponsors.

Thanks to Troy, Devon, Devin and Daniel for helping run safety AND
compete. That kept ‘em busy

thanks also to our Event Sponsors:
Jackson Kayak, GoPro, Smith Optics, Mt. Khakis, Chaco, Astral, Shred
Ready, Kokatat, Rapid Transit, Stony Boater, Immersion Research

And to our local sponsors:
Alpenglow Mountain Sports, River Gear and H2OVelocity

Results:
Adults -
Devon
Troy
Daniel
Devin
Willard

Jr – men
Skye
Thomas
Brady
Quinton
Trevor

Jr – Women
Roxy
Paige
Hailey

2012 Nolichucky Hometown Throwdown #3

The third event in the 2012 Nolichucky Hometown Throwdown series was kind of a shocker!  Just when we thought the river level for Big Rock was going to drop in for a good rodeo the day before, we awoke on event day to discover the river level was rising from rain overnight.  We have now coined this year’s Noli HTTD Series as “the year of no rodeo”!

However, we made the best of it and had 16 competitors join in for some friendly downriver freestyle/slalom and boatercross competition!  We had several spectators who watched and cheered on the competitors from the Riverpark Campground bank.  The event was held at Big Rock on the Lower Nolichucky River, TN with very humid partly sunny weather. 

The river level was 1,640CFSwhich made the main Big Rock wave/hole feature too flushy for our typical rodeo format.  So we agreed to a slalom course through the rapid.  Each competitor got 2 runs through the course and each run counted for their “DFS” Score.  The course involved catching 3 eddies down through the rapid behind rocks.  The competitors got 10 points for each of the eddies they caught.  Competitors had 1:30 minutes to complete the course while attempting downriver freestyle moves along the way to earn additional points from our Variety and Technical judges!

The third run was a boatercross race for each class from the top of the campground and went through the main feature.  Then the race course veered through our version of the “Notch” and finished on the river right beach!  This made for a fun zigzag course with a bottle neck at the “Notch”.  We gave 10 pts per place in the boatercross race and summed the BC score with the DFS runs for the grand total!

2012 Nolichucky Hometown Throwdown Event #3 Results:

Women K-1                           DFS    +      BC =           Total

1. Jennifer Bradley                        66                2^nd place:40   (106)

2. Laura Meade                            37                DNF              (37)

Men’s Expert K-1:

1. Michael Bianchi                        164              2^nd place:40   (204)

2. Andy Woods                            142              3^rd place:30    (172)

3. Wesley R. Bradley                     131              4^th place:20    (151)

Men’s Intermediate K-1:

1. Matt Dalton                             116              1^st place:50    (166)

2. Mike Dorsey                             112              2^nd place:40   (152)

3. Jeff Weatherford                      100              3^rd place:30    (130)

4. Ryan Shealy                            89                4^th place:20    (109)

5. Steve Moore                            88                5^th place:10    (98)

Men’s Novice K-1:

1. Brian Vermillion                         96                1^st place:50    (146) 

2. Robert Davis                            80                3^rd place:30    (110)

3. Hayden Blake                           40                4^th place:20    (60)

4. Lance Simerly                          41                5^th place:10    (51)

Junior Men’s Novice K-1:

1. Carter Davis                            146              1^st place:50    (196)

2. James Hunter                           90                5^th place:10    (100)

(Click here for a PDF copy of Event #1 Results)

Thank you to all the competitors for their participation and congrats to all of our class winners of Event #3!

Event Highlights:

*We had 3 swimmers during the event that went home with with the coveted River Gypsies “Everybody Swims” sticker award.

*Laura Meade introduced the new hand/paddle gesture, the “BANTHA-POO-DOO”, which will forever shadow the “Brown Claw”!  This gesture involves raising your paddle above the head and pumping it up and down while yelling like one of the Sand People from Star Wars!  This gesture was an instant classic by the crowd and will forever live in infamy!

*Laura Meade’s son quoted “Mommy you didn’t do very good” after she swam on her first run!

*Junior competitor, Carter Davis, kicked all the Men’s Expert’s butts in their boatercross race!

*Women competitor, Jennifer Bradley, kicked all but one of the Men’s Novice’s butts in their boatercross race!

*Everyone who competed or volunteered in the event went home with a prize and free swag!

Event #3 Photo Album Links:

Cheryl Killman’s Noli HTTD #3 photo album

Noli HTTD #3 Award Ceremony photo album

A big thank you goes out to all of our great volunteers for their help in event #3:

Jennifer & Wesley Bradley – Variety Judge & Registration

Samantha Young – Technical Judge

Erin Weatherford – Time Keeper

Cheryl Killman – Photographer

Susan Jarvis – Scribe

A special thank you goes out to our World Kayak Partners listed in the banner at the top of this page & the local sponsors below for all the great prizes & support of the events!

 The point series standings are getting exciting with only one event to go ion the series!  There are some tight point spreads between several of our top competitors in some of the classes!  Who will come out on top and/or make it up on the podium after the final event?  Check out the current standings below:

Click here for PDF Point Series Standings

Mark your calendar for August 11, 2012 to join us & Click Here to Register for the final event #4!  I hope to see you on the Noli to Throwdown and pray the level will drop in for a rodeo in our final event!!

12►

Celebrate The Boise River Park

CELEBRATE THE BOISE RIVER PARK THURSDAY The long-awaited Boise River Park will be formally launched with a dedication on Thursday, June 28 from 5–7pm. Join Mayor Bieter, residents and dignitaries as our guests for family-oriented festivities including a ribbon-cutting ceremony, donor acknowledgement, a paddling demonstration. After the ceremony Idaho River Sports will host a reception. To RSVP via the Boise Parks Facebook page - click here Observers at the new overlook plaza along the Greenbelt marvel at skilled whitewater kayakers, boogie boarders, and surfers playing in the park’s waves. Using wave shaper technology, adjustable waves provide a longer paddling season at various water levels. Adjacent to the new park, placid Quinn’s Pond invites non-motorized recreational pursuits including SUPing, flat-water paddling, fishing, swimming, and bird watching. It’s a great area for family fun. Rent a canoe, kayak, or stand-up paddleboard from Idaho River Sports located next to the pond to get the most out of the experience. SPECIAL DEDICATION PADDLE EVENT Idaho River Sports will be having a Boise River Park paddler’s only raffle for all participants who register and then show up with their boats and SUPs to paddle at the event. Come by and signup at the store anytime prior to the event or up to 3PM the day of the event. Then show up with your boat and your ticket to enter the day of the event. No purchase necessary. BOISE RIVER PARK FEATURES The Boise River Park dedication is for phase one – the construction of the wave shapers, plaza and river remediation work. Construction for phase two is scheduled for winter and will focus on the new Esther Simplot Park located between Quinn’s Pond and Veterans Memorial Park. Phase three consists of additions to the Boise River Park including more Greenbelt improvements along a one-mile stretch downriver from the plaza overlook, and new river bank work, rock and wave features in the rapids above Veterans Memorial Park. For more visit www.boiseriverpark.com Call Idaho River Sports for any specials needs at 208-336-4844. THANK YOU RIVER PARK SUPPORTERS Construction of the Boise River Recreation Park has been supported not only by a large majority of cash contributors to the park, but also by in-kind contributions of construction equipment, design services, labor and materials.  For a complete list of donors, visitwww.boiseriverpark.com.

Nationals

Classes: This is a stand alone NATIONALS and separate from the point series.National Champions will be crowned in the following classes:
K1M Pro, K1W Pro, K1M Open, K1W Open, K1M Jr, K1W Jr, C1, OC1, and Cadet
Date: July 7th & 8th

Community Service: Local Food Drive- bring your donated items to registration for your free bag of swag!

Contact: directors@kwpid.com

Registration: through morning of July 6 , 2012
Activities: Free concerts on site over the festival weekend. Bands TBA.

Awards:Prizes & Purse Total $15,500    Pro class    K1 Women & Men’s purse
1st       $2000 &     1st       $2000

                                                                        2nd      $1,750 &    2nd      $1,750

                                                                        3rd       $1,500 &    3rd       $1,500

                                                                        4^th        $1,250 &   4^th        $1,250

                                                                        5^th        $1,000 &    5^th        $1,000

                                    C1 Unisex                  1st            $300

2nd            $200

Visit: www.kwpid.com for more info and http://usafreestylekayak.com/2012-national-championships/

Atlanta Region HTTD #2 – Freestyle Competition

Atlanta Hometown Throwdown Event #3 – Freestyle Competition

June 3 @ 1:30 PM

Feature: Surfer’s Rapid on the Cartecay River

It is our second year of HTTD and we always have to include a freestyle competition. SO here it is. Come out and join us for a friendly freestyle competition on the Cartecay River. Judging will be done by your fellow competitors and friends, and points will be awarded for everything from spins to unintentional rolls i.e. window shading. This is an easy feature with a great recovery pool. We had first time boaters out there surfing last time. It is just tons of fun!

Prizes will be given out for participation or volunteering, and not based on score. Winner’s just get bragging rights, and points in the throwdown standings.

-Sign In/ Registration will begin @ 1:30 PM at the Cartecay River Experience. World Kayak will be providing on-line registration prior to the event and we will accept walk-on registration on the day of the event. We encourage you to use the on-line registration system to help us better prepare for the event. You can access the link http://worldkayakblogs.com/throwdown/register/

-We will put in at Lower Cartecay Road and paddle down to Surfer’s Rapid, where the competition will be held. After the competition we will paddle down to Blackberry Falls and take out at Stegal Mill. This is friendly class I-II+ run.

-Awards Ceremony and Prize Draw will follow after we have gotten off the river, and will be held at the Cartecay River Experience. You must be present to win a prize. There is an array of prizes for our local and national sponsors.

Contact Info

Organizer: Rick and Francheska Thompson

Telephone: (678) 907-1378/ (770) 778-3491

E-mail: rdt70@bellsouth.net / H20paddler@yahoo.com

Cartecay River Experience

2400 Hwy 52 E @ 515

Ellijay, GA

706-531-GRIN (4746)

July’s winner of a JK 2010 star is…………………………….

Samantha Collins from Atlanta, GA is our second winner of a Jackson Kayak star.  We are drawing a winner each month for the next two months from the pool of folks that have registered to be tracked in the WK Hometown Throwdown series.  It only costs $10 to get ranked and you can look at it as a super inexpensive opportunity to win a free boat!  Sign up at www.worldkayakblogs.com/throwdown/get-ranked/ to make sure you are in the running for the remaining two boats this summer.

Later ; Colin